CHRISTIAN BENTEKE has admitted his huge price-tag is a problem for him at Liverpool and explains his poor form this season.
The 25-year-old striker made the move to Anfield from Aston Villa last summer for a whopping £32.5million after impressing in a struggling Villa side, scoring 41 goals in 89 Premier League appearances for them following his move from Belgian side Genk in 2012.
However, he’s found it difficult to get anywhere near that strike-rate at Liverpool and has battled to even get a place in the starting XI for much of the season.
ESPN reports: “Benteke has confessed he has struggled to adapt to the attention at Liverpool and admits he has fallen short of his own expectations.
“Yeah (the price tag is) hard, because I know everything that I’m going to do people are going to talk about the money,” he said.
“But as long I’m all right with me, with myself, and I try to work hard for my team, that’s the main thing.
“It’s not the season that I was expecting, but it’s football, and you have some good times and some bad times and you have to deal with them.”
But is it really that Benteke’s form has been that bad? Or is it more a case of him simply not fitting into Liverpool’s style of play?
Benteke’s great strength is his power and ability in the air yet the Reds aren’t a side that bangs in loads of crosses and their intense pressing style doesn’t suit the big Belgian.
He’s become very much a square peg in a round hole.
Brendan Rodgers paid well over the odds for him in the first place and quite clearly Jurgen Klopp doen’t see him as a key part of his plans for the future.
So what does the future hold for Benteke? We think he’d be better off severing ties with Liverpool at the end of the season and joining a club that is more suited to him, that will play to his strengths, somewhere where he can be the big target man up front which is a situation he’s much more comfortable in.
There’s no doubt Benteke’s got goals in him and used the right way will again be a handful for Premier League defences – just not as a Liverpool player.
What do Reds supporters feel, let Benteke go or persevere for another season?
—–
Liverpool have been very steady in betting around 11/10 (2.10) in tonight’s Europa League tie with Man United.
If you’re confident of a strong win, you can also back Liverpool on the -1.5 line (AH) at 29/10 or 3.90.
Good luck if you’re having a bet.
—–
Click here to check out Football Advisor
